Two weeks later, the investigation by the Jujutsu Headquarters came to an end.
Regarding the old principal, everyone who had been present at the time was questioned, one by one. But in the end, the matter was left unresolved.
Sōjun Minamoto understood then—this wasn't about how well the curse had disguised itself. The truth was, these people just didn't care.
Two weeks was more than enough time for any remaining traces to be erased. Whatever was left had already been worn away by time, vanishing completely.
He didn't care either. The only one who had, was already dead—and dead meant just that.
The investigation had never been serious. It felt more like they were in a rush to wrap things up and return. Once the formalities were complete, only one thing remained—
The election of a new principal.
That, too, was conducted rather hastily...
Deep within Jujutsu High, everyone gathered again at the Taiji Hall. The faces were mostly the same as last time, with a few new additions from the Jujutsu Headquarters—and, of course, the old principal was gone.
Sōjun Minamoto stepped into the meeting room. It was quiet.
Through his perception, he could feel every gaze turning to him. Calm and unhurried, he walked to his assigned shoji screen and took a seat on the chair just outside the door.
Notably, under Sōjun Minamoto's "lead", quite a few others also chose to sit outside the screens—Satoru Gojo and Masamichi Yaga among them.
They were a visible display of Yaga's faction within Jujutsu High.
Sōjun Minamoto scanned the room.
The seat once held by the old man was now occupied by a stranger—likely the lead representative. The old man stood behind him, clearly serving as an escort, which said a lot about the man's status.
The lead delegate glanced around the room, his eyes eventually meeting Sōjun Minamoto's. He held the gaze for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. A hoarse voice sounded from behind him:
"Does anyone have any objections to Masamichi Yaga being promoted to principal?"
Silence.
Everything proceeded smoothly. No objections. It was practically a done deal—
Masamichi Yaga was officially appointed.
After the meeting, he gestured subtly for Sōjun Minamoto and Satoru Gojo to stay behind.
One by one, the higher-ups exited, and the room gradually emptied.
"Congratulations, Principal Yaga. I hope you continue your efforts," the lead representative of the Headquarters said as he passed Masamichi Yaga with a smile.
"Just fulfilling my duties," Yaga replied politely.
After a brief exchange, the representative turned to Sōjun Minamoto.
"This is our first time meeting. Your name comes up often at the Headquarters."
He waved casually, his gestures brimming with a desire to show off.
"Let me introduce myself—I'm Muneyoshi Kamo."
From the Kamo clan?
Sōjun Minamoto understood instantly.
They chatted idly for a bit—polite greetings, subtle attempts at building rapport. On the surface, the representative seemed amicable enough.
From what Sōjun Minamoto could sense, Muneyoshi's strength was just above Grade 1. In the jujutsu world, he'd be among the top tier just beneath Special Grade.
Behind him stood two Grade 1s and several Grade 2s, most with their faces covered, only their eyes visible.
These were the so-called Hidden Strengths of the Jujutsu Headquarters.
Complete secrecy would render them ineffective. They needed to be just visible enough to be known but still unreadable. That's what made them useful.
And Sōjun Minamoto was clearly their target this time.
He responded nonchalantly, sensing their underlying arrogance—subtle, but distinct from the overt kind.
He smiled indifferently.
Unlike them, Sōjun Minamoto's arrogance was worn plainly.
Satoru Gojo and the others didn't bother engaging. They left quickly, almost directly exiting the Jujutsu High barrier.
In a hurry.
Sōjun Minamoto could feel the feedback from the barrier.
Gojo wasn't fazed by the cold shoulder. The Kamo clan, with their obsession over bloodline purity, had always clashed with the Gojo family.
"Congrats, Principal Yaga," Gojo said brightly once the others had gone.
Ever since the Suguru Geto incident, he had planned to stay at Jujutsu High after graduation and become a teacher.
He was powerful, but not powerful enough—not yet. He needed more allies of equal strength.
Now in his fourth year, he was just months away from graduation. With everyone's efforts, his teacher had become the principal, and their collaboration was bound to last for a long time.
Masamichi Yaga gave a slightly awkward smile at his words.
In truth, there wasn't much difference between being the official principal and acting principal. Once he adjusted, it was all benefit.
Tokyo Jujutsu High had entered the Yaga era.
Outside of direct orders from the Headquarters, he practically had full authority. Historically, the Headquarters rarely interfered with how Jujutsu High operated—they only cared about results.
That left plenty of room for maneuver.
Though Masamichi Yaga wasn't someone obsessed with power or ambition, being principal gave him the ability to shape the school's future—and the chance to implement his educational ideals.
At that moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit stirred inside.
"It's all thanks to everyone's efforts. Let's keep working together to build an even better Jujutsu High."
A very standard line—but it reflected his inner restlessness.
"As expected of Principal Yaga. Even the way he speaks sounds full of resolve," Sōjun Minamoto said with a slight smile.
But in truth, his thoughts were elsewhere. Starting with Jujutsu High and spreading outward, he would take control of the sorcerer side. At the same time, beginning with the cursed spirits, he'd unify that side as well...
The former was already on track—all that remained was to follow the plan.
The cursed side was also entering a critical phase.
Right now, the only thing missing was time.
But Sōjun Minamoto wasn't in a rush.
His main objective didn't conflict with either side: it was to strengthen both simultaneously, pushing the jujutsu world toward a state of extreme balance. Once that was achieved, everything would become much easier...
After the three of them finished discussing the necessary matters, Sōjun Minamoto returned to his dorm.
...
A few days later, Masamichi Yaga held his first principal's meeting.
Sōjun Minamoto arrived at the dedicated meeting room inside the Pagoda Temple.
The place had been completely transformed.
The shoji doors were gone, replaced by soft, bright incandescent lights overhead. The tables and chairs had been removed as well, leaving only a spacious room with two neat rows of cushions placed close together.
As soon as he entered, Sōjun Minamoto saw Masamichi Yaga already seated at the head of the room.
No one else had arrived yet, so he took the spot to Yaga's left.
Seats weren't assigned—first come, first served.
Gradually, everyone trickled in. All the upper management and current Grade 1 sorcerers had shown up. Even so, the number of people remained small.
There wasn't anything major on the agenda—this meeting was mostly for introductions.
Contrary to expectations, there was no dramatic show of force or intimidation to assert dominance. Masamichi Yaga preferred a softer approach.
But he wasn't overly gentle either—his arrangements were crisp and efficient.
He laid out the strategic direction for the next six months and encouraged everyone to contribute to the discussion. A few Grade 1 sorcerers, who normally weren't considered high-level, were visibly pleased to be involved.
The meeting moved quickly, and the backlog of tasks began to get sorted.
These were the changes they had already agreed upon beforehand. There was no need to "light three fires" or anything symbolic—Yaga now held real power, and with it, they could implement changes without games or maneuvering.
No need for loud declarations. Just steady adjustments in one meeting after another, shifting the direction of Jujutsu High and letting the right people do the right jobs.
Students focused on studying. Sorcerers carried out missions. Support staff provided support. Everyone had their role.
Even the new seating setup served a purpose: to break down hierarchical barriers and strengthen collaboration. Those who refused to cooperate would naturally be handled by those who did, making the selection process that much faster.
Sōjun Minamoto's stance was clear—stay steady, move forward, and don't let others pull you into pointless power plays.
After the meeting, he saw Masamichi Yaga stepping into his role, fully in control.
From that point on, Jujutsu High was back on track—all that was left was to let it grow.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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